Rivkah goes with Eliezer, Avraham’s servant, back to Avraham to meet her future husband, Yitzchak. And the verse says there, “And Yitzchak came from the way of Be’er Lachai Ro’i,” [24:62] which translates as “the well of the living one who sees me.” Later, however, the Torah says that “Yitzchak dwelled with Be’er Lachai Ro’i” [25:11].

Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa teaches that “the Living One” is a reference to Hashem, and “the Living One Who sees me” refers to a level of spirituality and holiness so high that one “sees” Hashem, like two people see each other eye to eye. Rav Simcha Bunim says that this passage is telling us about Yitzchak’s spiritual growth, and his feeling about it afterwards.

The Rebbe explains that when Yitzchak was on “the way of” that well, it means that Yitzchak was always very precise and demanding with himself, and believed that he had not yet reached the level of “the Living One Who sees me.” He was “on the way” because he was preparing himself to achieve that exalted spiritual level.

But afterwards, the second verse says, in full, “And it was after the death of Avraham, and Hashem blessed Yitzchak his son, and Yitzchak dwelled with Be’er Lachai Ro’i.” The blessing was that Yitzchak not only achieved, but understood that he had achieved, that level. Yitzchak was sitting at rest with satisfaction, because he knew that he had reached the level that he desired and had been working towards.

Yitzchak was always climbing, trying to achieve that next spiritual level. But we see here, in Rav Simcha Bunim’s reading, that he was able to take stock of, and appreciate, his accomplishments.

We see this concept brought to life in a Siyum, meaning a “completion.” After learning a Tractate of Talmud, or Order of Mishnah, it is common to bring friends to hear the student (of any age) complete the work and say a special Kaddish afterwards. This ceremony inspires everyone there, including the one who completes the work, to pursue further scholarship and growth.

As we work to better ourselves, to reach higher levels of our own, we should, like Yitzchak, appreciate and feel satisfaction in what we have accomplished so far. This will help us, by inspiring us to further heights!